How To Pick The Perfect Glove

Question

Accepted Answer

There’s a few things to considering when buying a mitt and the most important are:

What position your son plays
Level of competition
Proper size

First off, you need a position appropriate glove for your little slugger. If your child plays in the outfield, they’ll want a glove that’s a little longer and that has a deep, open pocket – this makes it easier to catch fly balls.

Infielders want an open pocket so they can transfer the ball quickly from the glove to their throwing hands.

First base mitts are long, open and have extra padding on the palm to prevent injuries; these products are made to scoop balls out of the dirt.

Catchers mitts are the most position specific and have a lot of padding (there aren’t catchers mitts included in this list).

When I was a little leaguer I pretty much played every position. I would pitch one game, play center the next and shortstop after that. There’s plenty of gloves that are perfect for utility fielders too.

Next, you need to think about the competition your son is playing against. If you just plan on having a catch in the backyard or your kid plays non-competitively, you won’t need to spend too much. If, however, your boy plays in competitive leagues, against skilled players, you’ll need a well made product – this will improve your child’s play and keep them safe.

Lastly, you have to make sure you get the right size. Here’s a helpful chart to aid in this department:

Not too complicated, right?

If you want you can read a full guide to choosing the right glove here. Let’s take a look at my top picks now.

M	T	W	T	F	S	S
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4	5	6	7	8	9	10
11	12	13	14	15	16	17
18	19	20	21	22	23	24
25	26	27	28	29	30	31